Process for producing nuts



F eli.. E6; E965' w. Lacs ETAL PRGCESSL EGR; ERDDLIClNG` NUTS Oniginali Eil-lei Aug; 1:21.. 19.57

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 /A/ VEA/70A 4v wml I Feb@ 16-, 12965 mises; Elf-Al; 3,169,257;I4

PRQGESS FOK; PRQDUCING NUTSS @riginal Fled Aug. l2. 19537? 41, Sheets-Sheexl12i Feb. 16, 1965 w. Loos ETAL 3,169,257

PRocEss FOR PxoDUcING Nu'rs Original Filed Aug. 12. 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patentv O 4 Claims. (El. 1li-@ This is a division of application Serial No. 677,590, filed August 12, 1957, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a process for producing nuts from round steel blanks, which are subsequently shaped into round pressed pieces by upsetting,` then prepierced and shaped into hexagonally formed pieces, and finally perforated.

Many processes are already known for making nuts; the known processes mainly are of two kinds, i.e., hotpressing and cold-pressing processes. In the hot-pressing process, rod-shaped stock of rods is heated whereupon individual pieces are cut from the rods and are successively upset, pierced and shaped into nuts. In this process, the

rods have to be heated to high temperatures in order to assure a proper heating of the core. On account of this heating, the surface becomes ilaky and the nuts made from the rods 4are no longer accurate in size. The tools used in the production of the nuts have to be cooled continuously.

In the cold-pressing processes, all operations are performed on cold blanks. When nuts are made according to the cold-pressing process, expensive stock has to be used, having good cold-upsetting properties. Nuts made in that manner have to be annealed in a special operation. The surface of the nuts made by cold-pressing often shows cracks. The forces required for'shaping are much higher than in the hot-pressing process.

In order to improve the known processes and operations, a method has been suggested in which intermediate annealing was to be performed before the two last shaping operations. This method has the purpose to decrease the resistance to shaping which is high in blanks processed by cold-pressing. For instance, an intermediate annealing to relieve stresses is carried out after the blank has been shaped, whereupon the pressed article is again worked upon in the cold so as to increase its strength. The intermediate annealing has the disadvantage that the cold-pressed piece, upon being annealed, is again cooled and only then further worked upon for the increase of its strength. However, nuts being articles made by massproduction, delays in the course of the manufacturing operations are very inconvenient. Consequently, in spite of the known shortcomings, the manufacture of nuts was mainly done by the initially described conventional methods of hotor cold-pressing.

The shaping operations per se are generally known and are carried out in the same manner throughout, except for insignicant divergencies. As stated in the beginning, nuts are made from round steel blanks which are shaped into round pressed pieces by upsetting, pre-pierced and shaped into hexagonal pieces, and linally perforated. These operations are carried out in both hot-pressing and cold-pressing.

The present invention is a Adevelopment of the coldpressing process and has the object of providing a simple and more advantageous method of nut production.

According to the invention, this is achieved by heating the round pressed pieces, made in the cold, to a temperature of 600 to 800 C. before further shaping operations. In working according to the invention, heating is'utilized for facilitating the subsequent shaping operations whereby time is saved and heavy tools-become dispensable to venienced thereby. Heat losses lbg? Patented Fein. 16, 1965 ice a considerable extent. The expenses in machinery for the further shaping processes n the hot state are also reduced thereby; aWstes, as they are often found in coldupsetting even after the known intermediate annealing, are eliminated by the process according to the invention. The output in nuts made according to the novel process is a multiple of the output resulting from conventional cold-shaping processes in View of the shortened time of manufacture. The accuracy in size of .the nuts is also much greater than with the known processes. Another advantage is the easier thread-cutting in blanks made `according to the invention .than in nutsmade according to the known coldpressing,vwith or without intermediate annealing. The process of the invention also differs from the known processes in the following'respects.

The waste encountered in the heating of' entire rods is considerably reduced. The heating expenses are decreased by virtue of the lower operating temperatures. Heating of the core of the rounds is considerably faster owing to their larger'surface, than the heating of the interior of a likemass offrod material. Flake formation is reduced through faster heating. Another advantage is that the amount of stock present in the furnace at one time can be substantially smaller. This in turn permits use of smaller furnace units. The necessary space is correspondingly smaller and this results in a reduction of the heat dissipation. Since there is thus a substantial decrease in radiant heat, workers will not be incondue -to a second heating which becomes necessary upon failure of machinery, which requires emptying of the furnace, are decreased; the same is .true when tools have to be changed.

In the known cold-pressing processes with the intermediate annealng, the rpm. ,of the finishing press is so low that two machines are required for making full use of the preliminary press. In the process according to the present invention it is possible to adjust the r.p.m. of the finishing press to that of the preliminary press. The finishing press is capable of pressing as many rounds in medium-hot state -to final shape as are upset in-the cold state in the preliminary press.

Therefore not only is one machine entirely dispensed with, but the remaining finishing pressv may have considerably smaller dimensions since, thanks to the lower resistance of the material to shaping, a smaller compression force will be sufficient. Energy input and maintenance costs are reduced; the main tool is subject to less wear and tear. Instead of the intermediate annealing, a warm up operation is performed vfor the purpose of facilitating the main shaping operation. The conventional phosphating step is eliminated. The shaping temperature canbe utilized for a subsequent heat refining treatment.

As compared to the cold-pressing process, the starting material does not require any particular cold-upsetting properties; damaging due lto cold shaping does not occur. Onle1 operation of preliminary shaping may be dispensed Wit The method hitherto inl use required live operations and some transverse travel all of which involved considerable equipment, consequently there were many more incidents of mechanical failure; adjustment of tools and supervision also were more diicult. The machinery was subject to high wear due to the high pressures involved. Though nuts made by a true cold-'pressing process will have a high linal strength surpassing that of the initial stock by up to 50%, astrength which cannot entirely be matched by the products obtained in the process according to the invention since toughening obtained during preliminary shaping is partly lost in the heat of the iinal shaping operation, the nuts made by the semi-hotlshearingknife mounted on lav carriage cutsrroff mined piece and feeds it 'to the pressing tool. After the shearingfknife has been retracted, the Vcut rodsection is i punch'in the main slide, the round havingadiameter ofY95-96% of the lfinal nut width. The Y Y, rounds are fed byiway'ofa magazine having a pusher to a closed'vertical "slotted discharge chute. The rounds are vshaped to a round by a v arranged n a column l' out of the lower die onto a cross-conveyor pressing process, according to thisinvention, will have a very even' structure and high extensibility; AsV far asAV Vthese properties are concerned, the' nuts obtz'iin'edaccord-V Y ing to the invention aresuperior to nutsv madeV by the hot-shaping Aprocess Vfrei-,n aironespeci'ally used for. that purpose and shaped at 11550 C. Moreovencoarse-grain formation'liable to occur at higher temperatures will never be observed with the present method. f Y In the following, the process laccording A a will be' described asfcarried out', by way of example, in a plant comprising a simple .horizontal coldvpress,"'a furnace' with a steel"s'crew`fconveye`r, and ya finishing press with horizontal or 'vertical crank drive. Y v'The.startingrnaterial is rolled and drawn round steel j -in ring shape On Vthe cold press' therod, which has a diameterfof'708 0% of the nalnutor `Spanner width,is pushedz'ag'ainst anV adjustable' stop by ydraw Y Y a 4predeter- K from which the lowermost'is fedto thefurnace by means of a slide operating in timed relationship with the shaping press by means 'of a' springrollers. A p

'l pre-shaped blanks from the the finishing press.

The `furnaceunit of the combination is advanta- `geously designed asa muffle furnace having a rotating to the invention controlled flapjv The slidemay be locked so that .the/feed? 'Y ing'- may be interrupted at any time.

In the'furnace, the'rounds are heated ,in a countercurrent toa ,temperature-'of 600". to 800iJ C., theffexac't tempera'ture dependingon the composition of therstartingmaf terial. The aniountfof ake formation loccurring in; the

'- range `of 'ternperaturel mentioned Vis negligible rand thev akes are eliminated by fthe constant movement of theV rounds infront of -the' screw. From the 4heating Zone ofv 'a preliminary the shearing device whereby; the rod sections acquire the kexactf'size ,for the pre-shaping press. Y Y

QTh'e preshaped blanks are/f d to ,the Afurnace `unit by Vcylinder which supports at its inner wall a screw forthe transportation of the pre-.shapedblanks throughvthe fur- .nacelf At the lend ofathefurnace unit, a Yte'rnperature.- Vcontrol element is'so arranged .as to Vproject into the discharge end of theV furnacejthe lelement is connected with a' device for theautomatic regulation of the/furnace temperature and determination of the temperature of the pre- Vshaped blanks leaving ythe furnace.

Finally, the combination comprises a special discharge Varrangement.-forkthe blanks leaving the vfurnace in thatV in acompletely automatic manner. The cutting and, prel`shapingl vofrod segments in .the cold state Vaffords'high dimensional `accuracyiin the production ofV pre-pressed *blanks A contributing factor is the drawing bench ar- 'ranged ahead kof the cutter andrstpress kperforms drawing'operation on the rod taken in by Y means of the conveyer 'belt with the aid'of a'unt which the furnace, the Arounds drop through a chute in front of a a slide. time lintervalis controlled by afgradual regulation of the rotary speed Vof the-furnace. The VVVslide grips th'erounds and passes them overthve lower die of a press. The punch The 'numberof heated rounds delivered in a givenV ofthe upper die, having a projecting piercer, presses theV round into the lower die, whereupon the slide returns toV its starting position. ln the die the blank isishaped to its final forrnV and pre-pierced. After'the upperdie member with piercer hasbeen retracted,thelslllaped blank is pushed withugripping frneans which passes on the pressed blank to a tool for pushing out the center'. of the pierced blank] With each stroke of the slide a vfinished nut will be'` made. f

jAll tools areV cooled indirectly. v.by water. `The dies Y are additionally cooled, when open, by a-current of air which simultaneously cleansthern and atoniizes, a lubrivcant serving tofredu'cethe friction between (the pressed nut and the die Walls.v A' f The heat remaining in the shaped. pieces can b e utilized,

after a slight reheating, for annealing?y Y,

-For carrying outthe process a'c fullyi'automatically, a` combination ofY units is suggested comprising a cutting device with pre-pressing device for o rding 'tothe invention Y the cutting and preliminaryshaping of rod sections, which are fed over a draw bench either by a reel or in the shape of elongate rods; Van adjoining'furnace unit with conveyer screw, Where the pieces are uniformly heated to atemperature of 60C-800 C.; and, following the furnace, a

finishing press where the pre-'shaped Yblanks are pressed Y' into nut-form in a heated condition at a" temperature'of A further featureisthe `arrangement of a conveyer belt` between the preshaping press andthe furnace unit; this `belt feeds Ythe pre-.shapedblanks'to a charging device which feeds saidblanks into the'furnace in timed relationship with the operation ofthe finishing press.

Another element in the aforedescribed combination' is ,a Vshort guide'channel provided for couveylangl the heated Y plant.

-'pre-pressedblanksfrom the'furnace; and

voperates ingtinied relationship with the finishing press 'arranged':beh.ind theV fl'lrnaceY unit, thereby deliveringthe correct number. of blanks for passage `*through the furnace.

v In the` furnace unitthe pre-,shaped blanks are evenly transported and heated byfme'ans of a rotating cylinder and a screw conveyer contained therein, so that they will i Aall leavethe furnace 'fiat uniform temperature. Between furnace and Vfinishing pressi-the aforementioned guide channel feeds the pre-shaped' blanks into the'latter. The 1short length of the guidechannelprevents a rapid lowering off the blank temperatureand makeszit possible to shape the nuts into final form withl a temperature drop of at'mosft50" C. frornthefurnace temperature.. From'the finishing ,press the nuts Vare'passed on to a conventional threadlcutting machine. f Y

The described system notlonly` manufactures nuts of highv 'dimensional accuracy in a completely automatic manner, butalsomakes it possible substantially to surpress .flake formation.. Also, upon failure of some of the individual-lunits it S;1'10t necessary tocut .olfo'perations in the entire` plant, but it is Vsuicient tof discontinue .the work y.only in the unit whichy is out of .Vorder while continuing Y operations in the other units. 'Y For instance, the finishing Y press Vwith vthe furnace may be cut Vout while pre-shaping -of'theV rod sections continues. Qn they otherhand thisv preshaping press, may be discontinuedwhen'la large `stock tinues working.

In the drawing:

fof preapressed blanks exists', while the presscori- ."FIGS. l and 2 show diagrammatically Vthe cold-shaping y stage of the process according-'to `the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4` diagrammatically illustrate `the hotfshaping of thev process; f f.

f FYIGS. 5o and 5b are diagrammatic views of the `entire VAFIG.. 6 illustrates the-feeding of preliminarily pressed blanks to the furnace; j l .y FIG. 7 shows the `means for discharging the `heated EIG.Y:7 1 illustratesa'detail 'n'the discharge device'.rv i LlvfsrrirrlsWtothe drawings; FICTLl 1 shows a roda 'furnace ini alignedVorder-to Y of circular cross section in the first one of several consecutive Work stations. There, the rod is advanced through a shearing device c to a stop b. A slidable knife d is then passed over the surface of device c and cuts off a slug lor rod section a.l In a second station, FIG. 2, the blank e is pressed between two plungers, f and g, to form a round lz.

In an intermediate furnace, eg., as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the round h is heated to a temperature between about 600 and 800 C. and from there it is conveyed to the stations illustrated in FlGS. 3 and 4.

The station in FIG. 3 comprises a matrix or lower die m of hexagonal cross section and a plunger k between which the undersized round is shaped by axial compression and consequent radial expansion into a blank n, whereupon punchers o and p are brought down on the blank for making dents therein; in the station shown in FIG. 4 the blank is pierced through by a puncher s, which simultaneously pushes 'out the center r.

As shown in FlGS. 5a and 5b, the plant for carrying ont the process of FIGS. 1 4 comprises a reel 1, a draw bench 2, a cutting device and preliminary press 3, a furnace unit e and a finishing press 5.

From the reel 1 a rod 6 is drawn through bench 2, the bench being preferably pushed onto the rod and being moved along as the rod is pulled into pre-shaping press 3. The individual pieces are cut and preliminarily pressed, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the press 3 from Where they are discharged onto a conveyor 7 which moves them to -a lfurnace 4 via a charging device The blanks are made to travel through the furnace where they are heated up to 60G-800 C. From there the blanks are conveyed by a guide channel 9 to the finishing press 5, the paths between furnace and finishing press being so adjusted .that the blanks will be cooled down by not more than 50 C. Either at the end of the furnace or at the guide channel, an aligning device is arranged for orientation of the blanks in the same direction.

As more fully illustrated in FIG. 6, a hopper 11 is shown in front of the furnace 4 with an agitating member 12 for aligning the blanks 13 in downward direction and guiding them to a feeder trough 14. The trough 14 terminates at the furnace while a pusher 15 arranged at its opposite end moves the blanks toward the furnace. The pusher is connected to an axially movable bar 16 carrying a block 17 which is controlled by a spring 1S and to which a lever 19 is pivotally connected. The lever 19 is in engagement with a cam 21 which by rotation causes a reciprocation of rod 16 with pusher 15,

The movement of the rod 16 and pusher 15 is dependent on the movement of the finishing press 5 so that pusher will feed pre-shaped blanks 13 to the furnace in timed relationship with the operation of finishing press 5. The furnace is a Inutile furnace and has a rotating cylinder 22 supporting a conveyer screw 23. At the inlet end cylinder 22 is supported by a slide bearing 24 and is driven by the engagement of a gear 25 with a gear 26 in sliding engagement therewith.

The discharge end of the rotating cylinder 22 has a funnel-shaped enlargement, FIG. 7, which is closed by the rear wall 28 of the furnace except for a discharge opening 27. A temperature-control element 29 is mounted in wall 28 and extends into the rear end of the furnace cylinder for measuring its temperature. Element 29 is connected by lines 31 to a control device 32 which automatically regulates the temperature. The discharge end of the furnace is supported by a bearing 33 in a manner which prevents axial displacement. Guide channel 9 forms a chute which leads from the discharge opening 27 in the furnace wall 28 to the finishing press 5.

From channel 9 a tube 34 is branched off on which a ap 35 is pivotally mounted which alternatingly opens and closes tube 34 and channel 9 respectively. Tube 34 serves for the discharge of the heated pre-shaped blanks and emptying of the furnace when disturbances occur in the finishing press.

In FIG. 7a a mechanism is shown, by way of example, which serves for actuating flap 352 In this mechanism flap 35 is mounted on a shaft 35a, supported in bearings 35b and 35e. Also attached to the shaft is a hand wheel 35d for adjusting the flap in the desired' position. A spontaneous shifting of the shaft can be avoided either by providing sufficient friction between the shaft and the bearings, or by inserting a hook-shaped pin member 35e which passes through holes provided in the shaft and in one of the bearings, eg., bearing 35C, thereby securing the shaft in a given position with respect to the bearing and controlling the position of the flap. Several b'ores are provided in the shaft so that the flap may be adjusted in .different positions. Y

It should be understood that any other locking device could be used instead of pin 35e, e.g., a rack and pinion and a lever could be used instead 'of the hand wheel.

This flap-actuating device is only one of many which may be used with similar results.

What we claim is:

l. A method of making nut blanks from rod stock having a generally round cross-section, comprising the steps of:

(a) shearing sections of a said rod stock;

(b) forming undersized slugs by flattening said sections in a generally unheated state by compressing them axially;

(c) heating the slugs so attened to a tween substantially 600 and 800 C.,

(d) indenting the so heated slugs axially while expanding them radially under renewal axial pressure against polygonally adjoining surfaces; and

(e) piercing the so indented polygonal bodies thus formed.

2. A method of making nut blanks from rod stock havinfg a generally round cross-section, comprising the steps o (a) shearing sections of a said rod stock;

(b) forming undersized slugs by flattening said sections in a generally unheated state by compressing them axiall (c) heating the slugs so liattened tween substantially 600 (d) indenting the so heated slugs axially while expanding them radially under renewed axial pressure against polygonally adjoining surfaces at a temperature between substantially 550 and 750 C.; and

(e) piercing the sol-indented polygonal bodies thus formed.

3. A method of making nuts from rod stock having a generally round cross-section, comprising the steps of:

(a) shearing sections of a predetermined length from said rod stock;

(b) forming undersized slugs by attening said sections predetermined length from temperature bepredetermined length from to a temperature'beand 800 C.;

in a generally unheated state by compressing them l axially;

(c) heating the slugs so attened to a temperature between substantially 600 and 800 C.;

(d) indenting the so heated slugs axially while expanding them radially under renewedaxialpressure against polygonally adjoining surfaces; i

(e) piercing the so indented polygonal bodies thus formed to form blanks; and

(f) internally threading the polygonal blanks.

4. A method of making nuts from rod stock having a generally round cross-section, comprising the steps of:

(a) shearing sections of a predetermined length from said rod stock;

(b) forming undersized slugs by flattening said sec- 

1. A METHOD OF MAKING NUT BLANKS FROM ROD STOCK HAVING A GENERALLY ROUND CROSS-SECTION, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) SHEARING SECTIONS OF A PREDETERMINED LENGTH FROM SAID ROD STOCK; (B) FORMING UNDERSIZED SLUGS BY FLATTENING SAID SECTIONS IN A GENERALLY UNHEATED STATE BY COMPRESSING THEM AXIALLY; (C) HEATING THE SLUGS SO FLATTENED TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN SUBSTANTIALLY 600* AND 800*C.; (D) INDENTING THE SO HEATED SLUGS AXIALLY WHILE EXPANDING THEM RADIALLY UNDER RENEWAL AXIAL PRESSURE AGAINST POLYGONALLY ADJOINING SURFACES; AND (E) PIERCING THE SO INDENTED POLYGONAL BODIES THUS FORMED. 